You can all prophesy one by one… —1 Cor. 12:31

2019 ITEROS Message Seven

Message Seven

Being Watchful in Life and Faithful in Service

Opening Word of the Prophesying Meeting

Reading the verses in each day.

Reading the main points in the outlines.

Pray-reading the verses:

At that time the kingdom of the heavens will be likened to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were foolish and five were prudent. For the foolish, when they took their lamps, did not take oil with them;  But the prudent took oil in their vessels with their lamps—Matt. 25:1-4

Who then is the faithful and prudent slave, whom the master has set over his household to give them food at the proper time—Matt. 24:45

Word of Appetizer

How can we be watchful in life and faithful in service?

Every day we need to be watchful by paying the price to buy the Spirit as the golden oil so that we may supply the churches with the Spirit for the testimony of Jesus and be rewarded by the Lord to participate in the marriage dinner of the Lamb.

All of us should be those who are feeding the Lord’s people at the proper time and using the Lord’s talents in full; We must spend our time, our energy, and our everything to do a positive service for the Lord’s interest.

Spiritual Burden

For life, we need oil, the Spirit of God, even His filling, that we may be enabled to live the virgin life for the Lord’s testimony.

For service, for work, we need the talent, the spiritual gift, that we may be equipped as a good slave to accomplish what the Lord intends to accomplish; We need to use the Lord’s gift to build up the church by serving others with Christ and ministering Christ as grace to them.

Concluding Word of the Prophesying Meeting

The Revelation of the Truth

For life, we need oil, the Spirit of God, even His filling, that we may be enabled to live the virgin life for the Lord’s testimony.

For service, for work, we need the talent, the spiritual gift, that we may be equipped as a good slave to accomplish what the Lord intends to accomplish.

The Experience of Life

As vessels we need the oil inwardly; God’s grace in the infilling of the Holy Spirit gets into us and transforms us from within. we drink of the Spirit and let the Spirit saturate our being. Then our appearance will change from within. 

Having the filling of the Holy Spirit is at a cost, such as giving up the world, dealing with self, loving the Lord above all, and counting all things loss for Christ; if we do not pay this price today, we will have to pay it after we are resurrected.

Practice and Application

Every day we need to be watchful by paying the price to buy the Spirit as the golden oil so that we may supply the churches with the Spirit for the testimony of Jesus; We need to enjoy the Lord in the Word every day early in the morning to have a new start each day; We should not quench the Spirit; instead, we should always rejoice, unceasingly pray, and in everything give thanks.

We need to use the Lord’s gift to build up the church by serving others with Christ and ministering Christ as grace to them; We need to supply others with Christ as their spiritual food at the proper time.

Using Key Verses to Have a Bird’s-Eye View over the Whole Outline

Key Verses (1)

At that time the kingdom of the heavens will be likened to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were foolish and five were prudent. For the foolish, when they took their lamps, did not take oil with them;  But the prudent took oil in their vessels with their lamps—Matt. 25:1-4

By means of all prayer and petition, praying at every time in spirit and watching unto this in all perseverance and petition concerning all the saints—Eph. 6:18

Always rejoice, Unceasingly pray, In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit—1 Thes. 5:16-19

II. For life, we need oil, the Spirit of God, even His filling, that we may be enabled to live the virgin life for the Lord’s testimony

  • “At that time the kingdom of the heavens will be likened to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom”.
  • Virgins signify the believers viewed from the aspect of life.
  • The prudent virgins took oil in their vessels with their lamps; they take oil in their vessels signifies that they have the Spirit of God filling and saturating their souls.
  • Every day we need to be watchful by paying the price to buy the Spirit as the golden oil so that we may supply the churches with the Spirit for the testimony of Jesus and be rewarded by the Lord to participate in the marriage dinner of the Lamb.
  • We need to enjoy the Lord in the Word every day early in the morning to have a new start each day.
  • We should not quench the Spirit; instead, we should always rejoice, unceasingly pray, and in everything give thanks.

Key Verses (2)

For the kingdom of the heavens is just like a man about to go abroad, who called his own slaves and delivered to them his possessions. To one he gave five talents, and to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability. And he went abroad—Matt. 25:14-15

His master said to him, Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful over a few things; I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your master—Matt. 25:21

II. For service, for work, we need the talent, the spiritual gift, that we may be equipped as a good slave to accomplish what the Lord intends to accomplish

  • Slaves signify believers viewed from the aspect of service.
  • His possessions signifies the church with all the believers.
  • Talents signify spiritual gifts; and the spiritual gift in service matches the filling of the Spirit in life, that we may be a perfect member of Christ.
  • The joy of your master signifies the enjoyment of the Lord in the coming kingdom as a reward for our faithful service to Him; this refers to inward satisfaction, not to outward position; to participate in the Lord’s joy is the greatest reward, better than the glory and position in the coming kingdom.

Key Verses (3)

Who then is the faithful and prudent slave, whom the master has set over his household to give them food at the proper time—Matt. 24:45

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord—1Cor.15:58

II. For service, for work, we need the talent, the spiritual gift, that we may be equipped as a good slave to accomplish what the Lord intends to accomplish

  • We need to serve the Lord with our whole being according to the counsel of God by coordinating with the members of the Body.
  • We need to use the Lord’s gift to build up the church by serving others with Christ and ministering Christ as grace to them; We need to supply others with Christ as their spiritual food at the proper time.
  • Our work and labor for the Lord in the gospel are not by our natural life and natural ability but by the Lord’s resurrection life and power; resurrection is the eternal principle in our service to God.
  • We should always abound in the work of the Lord, knowing that our labor for the Lord in His resurrection life with His resurrection power will never be in vain but will result in the fulfilling of God’s eternal purpose.

Prophesying Topics—Twelve Topics per Week

D1

T1. The spirit of man is the lamp of Jehovah. (Prov. 20:27; Rom. 8:16)

(Please explain that Lamps signifies the spirit of the believers, which contains the Spirit of God as the oil.)

T2. The prudent virgins took oil in their vessels with their lamps. (Matt.25:4,9)

(Please use the example to illustrate that having the filling of the Holy Spirit is at a cost.)

D2

T1. The Christian life is a matter that concerns our buying of the oil.(Matt.25:9; Rev. 3:18)

( Please explain how we can exercise every day to be watchful by paying the price to buy the Spirit as the golden oil.)

T2.Dealing with my soul in many ways to buy the oil. (Matt.25:9)

(Please explain that to receive the Holy Spirit into our spirit is free, but to have the Spirit saturating our soul is not free.)

D3

T1. To live such a life of buying the oil daily, even hourly. (1 Thes. 5:19; Rom.8:4)

(How can we exercise to buy the oil all the time in all the matters in our daily life?)

T2. To buy the oil is the best way to redeem our time. (Eph. 5:16;)

(Please use the example to illustrate that we can buy an extra portion of the oil by not wasting your time in doing anything.)

D4

T1. We are not only virgins, but also slaves. (Matt.25:14-15)

(Please explain that Regarding life, we are virgins; regarding service, we are slaves.)

T2. We need both the inward renewing and the outward service. (Matt.25:14-15)

(Please explain that for life, we need oil, the Spirit of God; for service, for work, we need the talent, the spiritual gift.)

D5

T1. The Lord commissioned us to take care of His household. (Matt.24:45)

(In what way should we be faithful in the service?)

T2. To use the Lord’s gift by serving others with Christ. (Matt.24:45)

(Please use your experience to illustrate that whenever we meet together, this is one of the proper times, the appointed times, for you to minister the proper food to the Lord’s folks. )

D6

T1. We all need to be faithful in the Lord’s service. (Matt.25:25-27)

(Please explain that we should not dig into the earth to bury or hide our talent. )

T2. Everyone was required to trade, to do business, to make money for the Lord’s kingdom. (Matt.25:25-27)

(Please explain with details how we can use the Lord’s talent in full.)